Paulina bettingen



(No Model.)

P} BETTINGEN}. .BUST FORM.

Patented Feb. 21, 1893.

No. 492,263. I

THE Nuams PETERS cfpnom-Lnwm wxsmwcwou. nv c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAULINA BETTIN GEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUST-FORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,263, dated February 21, 1893.

Application filed March 23, 1892. Serial No. 426,040- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAULINA BETTINGEN, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dressmakers Forms, commonly called Bust-Forms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The form is intended to serve for a number of sizes and for considerable variations in the stoutness and height,-the variations being attained by allowing therefor by the aid of the measures taken onthe person being served. My form is of thin material. I have in my experiments used sheet copper, worked into contour by cutting and goring and by hammering to complete the required degrees of convexity and concavity at each point. I make the figure or part of a figure in sections divided vertically, and provide means for conveniently attaching and separating the sections at will. I cover the outer surface of each section with jersey or analogous elastic fabric efficiently secured along the edges. I put a thin layer of cotton batting or analogous yielding material between the hard material and the fibrous covering and a border lining on the inside of the hard material,- the latter aids in attaching and securing the jersey.

One of the uses of my invention is to distribute the several sections between a number of girls each having one section on a work bench or on her lap and determining the forms and the matching of difierent parts of figured stuffs together by pinning the material to the jersey or equivalent covering, changing and adjusting with little labor until the required conditions are attained. At a later stage or at the same stage two or more sections may be applied together and the dress matched to the whole. I have so far given attention mainly to fitting the female form from the neck to the hips but I propose to apply the invention in the same manner to fittingdresses for children and generally where cloth of any kind is to be made to apply nicely to irregular surfaces.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and represent What I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of the dress form with all the sections united. Fig. 2 is a corresponding side view, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3, 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3' is a similar section on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a perspective View on a smaller scale showing one of the front sections alone lying with its convex side uppermost. Fig. 5 is on a larger scale. It is a horizontal section of a portion on the line 3 3. Fig. 6 is a corresponding section showing a modification, andv Fig. 7 is a front view corresponding to Fig. 6.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A A A are separate sections of sheet copper sheet iron, sheet iron surfaced with tin or other non corrodible coating, or any other material of suflicient strength which may be cut and worked by dies or otherwise into the desired forms to represent parts of the human figure. Each is skillfully wrought to the required form. The lines of junction and division of these several sections should extend up and down and should correspond with seams to be made in the dress. There may be other lines produced by slight ridges or grooves or both extending up and down or in other directions across the whole or any portion of each section which may aid in determining the position of other seams to produce the required forms with material having but little elasticity.

B are lining pieces extending along the several edges of each section on the inside and O is glue or other cement applied between, to aid in securing the lining and also the external covering as will presently appear.

A series of holes a formed in the material A along each edge allow the glue to strike through. These holes also allow of attaching the lining and the covering by sewing through these holes in addition to the security attained by the cement.

D is a sufficiently thick and durable piece of elastic fabric. I prefer the knitted and fulled and finished material known as jersey stretched smoothly over the whole outer face of each section A. Its edges are turned under a little to give a nice and even match to the edge of the hard materialA and of the lining B. I attach importance to this and to all other points which contribute to make the device neat and tasty in appearance because the eye of the operator must in active practice be largely depended on to give the required graceful fit, matching the figure of the customer and yet slightly improving it. The avoidance of frayed edges and especially of unsightly, clasps, bars and skeleton framing is easy with my invention and the artistic taste and skill of the dressmaker ,may be applied under the most favorable conditions. The external fabric D should be glued to the hard material A along the edges of each section and sewed through the holes a but it is preferable not to glue the Whole surface.

A layer of cotton batting E is laid over the main portion of the surface under the main covering D. This batting may be held by a thin coating of glue 0 to cause its inner fibers to adhere and keep it from ever getting much displaced but it is important not to saturate this with glue or to do anything to disturb its yielding and elastic action. In the use of the section pins or other simple fastenings applied on the same principle may be inserted obliquely through the jersey and underlying batting and hold the uncut, partly cut, or completely cut cloth of the dress in any required positions on the exterior of the whole, being changed with great ease and rapidity until a satisfactory condition is attained at each point.

G G are studs of metal or other material fixed permanently in the sections A near each of the edges or near the edges which extend up and down and require to he sometimes fastened together.

H H are lacings extended across the lines of juncture of the several sections and taking hold of the several studs. This allows the sections to be connected and separated as often as desired by means the operating and repairing of which are within the command of all.

Modifications may be made by any good mechanic without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. I have shown the back in one piece and the front in two pieces or sections; but this may be varied.

The body A should be hard and stiff, and it is preferably elastic. It is important that it be not soft and pliant. The covering material D should, on the contrary, be soft and adapted to receive pins. I propose to vary the material of each.

My improved dress-form can be used for all styles of waists including artistic and seamless waists. The hard interior can be made of copper, tin, or other metal, papier-mach, hardened felt, or various other materials.

I claim A sectional bust form, each section thereof consisting of a base of rigid material, a soft outer covering and an elastic or yielding filling material, said materials being secured togetherat the edges of the sections and each edge of each section being provided with means for detachably connecting the adjacent sections to each other, substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention abovev set forth I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PAULINA BETTINGEN. Witnesses:

THoMAs DREW STETSON, .(JHARLEs R. SEARLE. 

